they walked to the
small elevator at the end of the hall.
“What was he doing?”
Madison stifled a yawn as she looked at her
watch. “Just walking.”
Sarah’s lips quirked up as she pressed the third
floor button. “Sounds sinister.”
“Are you ready to go to Grandpa’s?”
“I just have to pack up my makeup and we can go.
It’ll take me a few seconds.”
“I think you better call Grandpa first and see if
it’s okay if we bring the puppy with us.”
“Already did,” Sarah said, stepping off the
elevator and walking to their apartment door. “I called him from the pub and he
said it would be fine.”
Madison slipped off her coat and hung it in the
coat closet. Shivering slightly, she turned around with a frown. “Why is it so
cold in here?” She checked the thermostat, bumping it up another five degrees.
“I think our heat’s out.”
“Good thing we’re going to Grandpa’s then,” Sarah
called out from her bedroom.
Madison walked over to the window on the right
side of the fireplace. She pulled the drapes shut before walking over to the
window hidden behind the Christmas tree on the other side. She flinched as a
cold gust of air hit her in the face. “Sarah, did you open the window before we
left for church?”
“It’s below forty,” Sarah said as she set her
overnight case onto the living room floor next to Madison’s. “I haven’t opened
the window since August.” She balled her hands on her hips as she looked down
at the puppy. “You need some bowls.” She strode to the kitchen with Rory at her
heels frantically trying to keep up.
The phone rang.
“Can you get that, Madison?” she called out from
the kitchen.
It’s him , Madison thought as she stared at the phone on
the writing desk near the front door. She closed the window with an angry jerk
of her hand before striding across the living room and answering the phone.
There was a gasp as though the man on the other
end of the line was struggling for breath.
Madison closed her eyes.
“Eight,” he said in a clipped angry tone.
“Quincy? It’s you, isn’t it?” She waited for him
to answer. The seconds ticked by without a sound from the other end of the
line.
No breathing.
No painful gasps of air.
Nothing.
“Quincy, please tell me what’s happening. I—” The
telltale click of the phone disconnecting interrupted whatever else she had
planned to say.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
~S EVEN ~
M ONDAY , D ECEMBER 25 TH
3:37 P.M.
Madison
poured a half a cup of rum into the eggnog. “I’m telling you, someone was in
our apartment.” She added another ounce. “That window didn’t open on its own.”
She glanced down at the mixture and then added another ounce of the rum.
Sarah reached out and grabbed her sister’s wrist.
“Would you take it easy on that?” She glanced down into the bowl. “We’re going
to be sloshed before the main course is finished.” She set the eggnog to the
side and picked up a tray of candied sweet potatoes. “Nothing was taken. Our
jewelry was still there. So was the money I had on my nightstand. I know it was
only twenty dollars, but still…”
Madison set the bottle down and leaned against
the counter. “He wasn’t after money. He just wanted us to know that he was
there.”
“Who? Paul Harris or Quincy Sullivan?”
“I don’t know.”
“Have you told Ethan about it yet?”
“No, I don’t want to spoil Christmas by unloading
all my problems on him. He should get a day off at least. Besides, Grandpa
hasn’t let me get a word in edgewise since the man walked into the door.”
Sarah grinned as she backed up against the door
leading to their grandfather’s dining room and pushed it open with her high
heel. “I noticed. Don’t worry, Operation Distract Grandpa will go into effect
as soon as dinner is over with.” She glanced down at the puppy circling her
feet. “Now be careful, baby, I’m going to trip over you if you keep so close.”
Madison picked up
small elevator at the end of the hall.
“What was he doing?”
Madison stifled a yawn as she looked at her
watch. “Just walking.”
Sarah’s lips quirked up as she pressed the third
floor button. “Sounds sinister.”
“Are you ready to go to Grandpa’s?”
“I just have to pack up my makeup and we can go.
It’ll take me a few seconds.”
“I think you better call Grandpa first and see if
it’s okay if we bring the puppy with us.”
“Already did,” Sarah said, stepping off the
elevator and walking to their apartment door. “I called him from the pub and he
said it would be fine.”
Madison slipped off her coat and hung it in the
coat closet. Shivering slightly, she turned around with a frown. “Why is it so
cold in here?” She checked the thermostat, bumping it up another five degrees.
“I think our heat’s out.”
“Good thing we’re going to Grandpa’s then,” Sarah
called out from her bedroom.
Madison walked over to the window on the right
side of the fireplace. She pulled the drapes shut before walking over to the
window hidden behind the Christmas tree on the other side. She flinched as a
cold gust of air hit her in the face. “Sarah, did you open the window before we
left for church?”
“It’s below forty,” Sarah said as she set her
overnight case onto the living room floor next to Madison’s. “I haven’t opened
the window since August.” She balled her hands on her hips as she looked down
at the puppy. “You need some bowls.” She strode to the kitchen with Rory at her
heels frantically trying to keep up.
The phone rang.
“Can you get that, Madison?” she called out from
the kitchen.
It’s him , Madison thought as she stared at the phone on
the writing desk near the front door. She closed the window with an angry jerk
of her hand before striding across the living room and answering the phone.
There was a gasp as though the man on the other
end of the line was struggling for breath.
Madison closed her eyes.
“Eight,” he said in a clipped angry tone.
“Quincy? It’s you, isn’t it?” She waited for him
to answer. The seconds ticked by without a sound from the other end of the
line.
No breathing.
No painful gasps of air.
Nothing.
“Quincy, please tell me what’s happening. I—” The
telltale click of the phone disconnecting interrupted whatever else she had
planned to say.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
~S EVEN ~
M ONDAY , D ECEMBER 25 TH
3:37 P.M.
Madison
poured a half a cup of rum into the eggnog. “I’m telling you, someone was in
our apartment.” She added another ounce. “That window didn’t open on its own.”
She glanced down at the mixture and then added another ounce of the rum.
Sarah reached out and grabbed her sister’s wrist.
“Would you take it easy on that?” She glanced down into the bowl. “We’re going
to be sloshed before the main course is finished.” She set the eggnog to the
side and picked up a tray of candied sweet potatoes. “Nothing was taken. Our
jewelry was still there. So was the money I had on my nightstand. I know it was
only twenty dollars, but still…”
Madison set the bottle down and leaned against
the counter. “He wasn’t after money. He just wanted us to know that he was
there.”
“Who? Paul Harris or Quincy Sullivan?”
“I don’t know.”
“Have you told Ethan about it yet?”
“No, I don’t want to spoil Christmas by unloading
all my problems on him. He should get a day off at least. Besides, Grandpa
hasn’t let me get a word in edgewise since the man walked into the door.”
Sarah grinned as she backed up against the door
leading to their grandfather’s dining room and pushed it open with her high
heel. “I noticed. Don’t worry, Operation Distract Grandpa will go into effect
as soon as dinner is over with.” She glanced down at the puppy circling her
feet. “Now be careful, baby, I’m going to trip over you if you keep so close.”
Madison picked up
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